1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for destroying nitrated aromatics and particularly the nitrophenols produced in the nitration of benzene to form dinitrobenzene. The process involves treating the nitrated aromatics, e.g., nitrophenols which have been extracted from dinitrobenzene as a dilute aqueous salt solution, with finely divided iron and hydrochloric acid with or without ferric chloride.
2. Prior Art
Groggins, P. H., Unit Processes in Organic Synthesis, 5th Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, N.Y. 1958, pages 135-145, discloses the use of iron metal and hydrochloric acid to reduce nitrobenzene to aniline.